The purpose of this study was to determine which specific resources contribute to the strategy-to-performance gap of small businesses trading in the Pietermaritzburg metropolitan area, from a resource-based perspective of strategic management. The research was prompted by a study conducted by Marakon Associates, the purpose of which was to investigate how successfully companies translate their strategies into performance and what steps they take to close the resulting strategy-to-performance gaps. The main reasons advanced for poor strategy-to-performance results are inadequate or unavailable resources. The research design in the study is quantitative and descriptive in nature. The data was collected from a structured questionnaire comprising of 18 questions emailed to the owners using LimeSurvey. The findings of the survey show that the businesses surveyed lack resources, which leads directly to strategy-to-performance gaps. The most important resources they lack are financial and human resources. / Business Management / M. Tech. (Business Administration)

During the last decade, the integration of management systems (this includes any management system that is used to achieve the goals of an organisation example PASCAL, ISO standards and enterprise resource planning), has become an increasingly important strategy adopted by organisations, as it represents an alternative to operating with multiple management systems in parallel (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014:860). Despite the established need for the integration of management systems, research on how to carry out integration has yet to be developed fully and an elaborated methodology of integration needs full realisation (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy, Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). The aim of the current study was to develop a framework for organisations that could be used for the integration of management systems in a structured manner. This study was undertaken by exploring the views and opinions of senior management through fourteen face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thereafter, an online survey collected 220 responses from four South African multinational organisations involved with management system development and implementation. The research instrument used a seven-point Likert-type scale for the respondents to rate each question. The data was analysed statistically primarily using factor analysis to confirm the significant factors and then structural equation modelling to test the relationships between the factors, which ultimately confirmed the developed framework. The beneficiaries of this research are primarily organisations that have three or more management systems in an organisation. The framework will also be valuable to management in industry and policymakers since it addresses key integration issues, such as employee performance, organisational culture, employee motivation and policy as factors when considering integration of management systems. / Kule minyaka ilishumi idluleyo amaqumrhu aye aphuhlisa ngamandla icebo lobulumko lokuhlanganiswa kweenkqubo zolawulo (kuquka nayiphi na inkqubo yolawulo esetyenziselwa ukufezekisa iinjongo zequmrhu, iinkqubo ezifana nePASCAL, ISO, ne standards and enterprise resource planning). Oku kumele indlela eyenye yokusebenzisa ngaxeshanye iinkqubo zolawulo ezininzi (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014:860). Ngaphandle kokuba siqondakala kakuhle isidingo sokuhlanganisa iinkqubo zolawulo, alukaphuhliswa kakuhle uphando lokuqhuba oko kuhlanganisa (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy & Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). Injongo yolu phando kukuphuhlisa isakhelo esinokusetyenziswa ngamaqumrhu ekuhlanganiseni iinkqubo zolawulo ngendlela efanelekileyo. Esi sifundo saqhutywa ngokuphengulula izimvo neengcinga zabaphathi abakwizinga elingentla ngokuqhuba udliwano ndlebe nabaphathi abali-14 nganye nganye. Emva koko kwenziwa intlolomvo kubantu abangama-220 abasebenza kumaqumrhu amane aseMzantsi Afrika, maqumrhu lawo asebenza ngophuhliso nokusetyenziswa kweenkqubo zolawulo. Isixhobo sophando esisetyenzisiweyo sisikali esineencam esisixhenxe esiludidi lweLikert, apho abathathi nxaxheba bebeka esikalini umbuzo ngamnye abawunikiweyo. Iinkcukacha zolwazi zahlalutywa ngobuchule bezobalo, kuqukaniswa iimpendulo ezenza udidi olunye, emva koko kwasetyenziswa indlela yokuhlalutya apho kuphononongwa ukwalamana ngoonobangela neziphumo zemiba ethile, okuthe ekugqibeleni kwaveliswa isakhelo. Abancedakeleyo lolu phando ngamaqumrhu asebenzisa iinkqubo zolawulo ezintathu nangaphezulu. Isakhelo esiphuhlisiweyo siya kuba luncedo kakhulu kubalawuli nabaqulunqi bomgaqo nkqubo, kuba sijolise kwimibandela yokuhlanganisa, efana nendlela abasebenza ngayo abaqeshwa, inkcubeko yequmrhu, ukukhuthazwa kwabasebenzi nemiba emalunga nomgaqo nkqubo oqwalaselwa xa kuhlanganiswa iinkqubo zolawulo / Kule minyaka eyishumi edlule, ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha (kufaka kukho noma yiluphi uhlelo lokuphatha olusetshenziselwa ukufeza izinhloso zenhlangano, njengePASCAL, amaqophelo e-ISO kanye nokuhlelwa kwezinsiza zebhizinisi), sekuyicebo elibaluleke kakhulu elamukelwa yizinhlangano, njengoba kumele enye indlela yokusebenza nezinhlelo eziningi zokuphatha ngokuhambisanayo (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014: 860). Yize sekubonakale isidingo sokuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha, ucwaningo lokuthi kuzohlanganiswa kanjani kusamele luthuthukiswe ngokuphelele kanti nendlela ecacile yokuhlanganiswa kumele ifezeke ngokugcwele (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy & Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). Inhloso yocwaningo lwamanje bekungukuthuthukisa uhlaka lwezinhlangano olungasetshenziselwa ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha ngendlela ehlelekile. Lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ngokuhlola imibono nemicabango yabaphathi abaphezulu ngokuba nezingxoxo eziyi-14 ezingahlelekile ngokuphelele ezibe khona kuxoxwa ubuso nobuso. Ngemuva kwalokho, ucwaningo olwenziwa ngokuqoqa imininingwane ngobuchwepheshe bekhompuyutha lwaqoqa izimpendulo ezingama-220 ezinhlanganweni ezine zaseNingizimu Afrika ezihlanganise amazwe ahlukene nezibandakanyeka ekusungulweni nasekuqaliseni ukusebenza kohlelo lokuphatha. Kusetshenziswe indlela yokucwaninga yesikali sohlobo lwe-Likert samaphoyinti ayisikhombisa abaphendulayo abakala ngaso umbuzo ngamunye. Imininingwane ihlaziyiwe ngokwezibalo kusetshenziswa ukuhlaziywa kwezinto ngokuqavile ukuqinisekisa izici ezibalulekile bese kulandelwa indlela yokulinganisa ukwakheka ukuhlola ubudlelwano phakathi kwezici, okugcina kuqinisekisa uhlaka olusunguliwe. Abahlomuli balolu cwaningo ngokuqavile yizinhlangano ezinezinhlelo ezintathu noma ngaphezulu zokuphatha enhlanganweni. Uhlaka luzoba wusizo nakubaphathi embonini nakubenzi bezinqubomgomo, njengoba lubheka izingqinamba ezibalulekile zokuhlanganiswa, njengokusebenza kahle kwabasebenzi, isiko lenhlangano, ukukhuthazwa kwabasebenzi kanye nenqubomgomo njengezinto ezibhekwayo uma kucatshangwa ngokuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha. / SBL / D.B.L.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Change has become a prevalent feature of today’s organizations, resulting in an increased demand for workers who are able to adapt to the dynamic nature of the environment. Recently, many have suggested that traditional models of job performance should be expanded to include an adaptive performance dimension. Research in this relatively new domain has focused on defining adaptive performance and understanding how it may be predicted. This study contributes to these efforts by testing the personality trait of conscientiousness as a predictor of adaptive performance, with both constructs being studied at their domain and facet levels. The incremental validity of conscientiousness over cognitive ability is also examined, and autonomy is investigated as a moderator of the conscientiousness-adaptive performance relationships. A sample of 212 undergraduate students who work at least 20 hours per week participated in the study by completing an online survey and a cognitive ability assessment. Conscientiousness was supported as a good predictor of adaptive performance overall. However, the predictor-outcome results did vary over the domain and facet levels, emphasizing the importance of studying both levels. At the two-facet level of conscientiousness, the achievement motivation facet was shown to have stronger relationships with the adaptive performance dimensions compared to the dependability facet. At the six-facet level of conscientiousness, the three achievement motivation facets and one dependability facet (i.e., dutifulness) were significantly related to all eight performance dimensions, but the other two dependability facets (i.e., orderliness and cautiousness) were not significantly related to all of the adaptive performance dimensions. Conscientiousness did provide significant incremental validity over cognitive ability at the domain level and for almost all of the facet-level relationships, but cognitive ability was not related to adaptive performance or any other study variables. Autonomy was supported as a moderator with 16 significant interactions uncovered at the facet level. However, these significant interactions only involved three (i.e., interpersonal, learning, and cultural) of the eight adaptive performance dimensions. Overall, these results supported the conscientiousness-adaptive performance relationship and contributed new findings to the adaptive performance domain that have implications for employee selection and performance management.

Text in Afrikaans / Health care has typical challenges and stress factors as employees deal with people in a very personal manner. This exclusively client-centred environment requires special skills from employees if they wish to perform well. In addition to excellent interpersonal and stress management skills, they need to be able to handle their own and patients' emotions well. These skills can be referred to as emotional intelligence competencies. Emotional intelligence is a relatively new concept with many possibilities if applied correctly. This study involves 114 employees, their colleagues and supervisors in two health-care organisations. The 360° Emotional Competency Profiler was used together with the internal performance evaluation scores, and statistical techniques such as t-tests and discriminant analysis were utilized. It was found that certain emotional intelligence dimensions and work performance are related to a certain extent. However, other factors also need to be considered if one wants to make predictions in this regard. / Die gesondheidsorgomgewing het unieke uitdagings en stresfaktore omdat werknemers op 'n baie persoonlike vlak met mense werk. Die uitsluitlik klientgesentreerde omgewing verg spesiale vaardighede indien werknemers goed wil presteer. Buiten uitstekende interpersoonlike- en streshanteringsvaardighede, moet hulle ook in staat wees om hulle eie en huile pasiente se gevoelens te kan hanteer. Hierdie vaardighede kan na verwys word as emosionele intelligensievaardighede. Emosionele intelligensie is 'n relatief nuwe konsep wat baie toepassingsmoontlikhede het indien dit reg aangewend word. Hierdie studie betrek 114 beskikbare werknemers en hulle kollegas en toesighouers in twee gesondheidsorgorganisasies. Die 360° Emotional Competency Profiler is saam met die interne prestasie-beoordelingstellings gebruik en daar is gebruik gemaak van statistiese tegnieke soos f-toetse en diskriminantontleding. Daar is bevind dat sekere emosionele intelligensie dimensies in 'n sekere mate 'n onderlinge verband toon met werksprestasie. Ander faktore moet egter ook in ag geneem word indien mens 'n voorspelling in hierdie verband wil maak. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Performance management and performance appraisal plays a crucial role in developing human resources. In the social work profession the social work supervisor is the person responsible to appraise the performance of the social worker because of the excellent position to observe the job performance directly and consistently. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social work supervisors perform their supervisory functions and apply performance appraisal. The researcher used qualitative research for an exploratory and descriptive study. In-depth interviews were use as data collection method. The sample group was social work supervisors in the employment of the Western Cape Department of Social Development. Performance appraisal can be use to encourage professional growth and development of social workers. Performance appraisal is a supervisory duty and thus a component of administrative, educational and supportive supervision. It seems however that supervisors experience problems with performing supervision and to apply performance appraisal. / Thesis (M.A. (Maatskaplike Werk))

One of the fundamental objectives of the criminal justice system in any country is to punish, rehabilitate, deter, incapacitate and reintegrate offenders into communities. The main motive of punishment therefore is to transform criminals into responsible and law-abiding citizens. Parole is acknowledged as an internationally accepted mechanism that allows for the conditional release of offenders from correctional centres into the community and forms one of the most important components of the criminal justice system value chain. The release of the offenders on parole therefore, does not negate the objectives of punishment but entrenches them through setting conditions by which all parolees must abide by. In other words, all offenders released on parole are supervised at all times by parole officials within their communities to ensure that they comply with their conditions. It is for this function- to grant parole to offenders, that the parole boards have been established in different countries. The Department of Correctional Services in South Africa has adopted the independent model of parole which provides for the parole boards that are headed by independent members from the public appointed by the Minister of Correctional Services. Parole is administered by the parole boards and has, as one of its main functions the release of offenders based on their eligibility. The absence of the performance management system for the parole board makes parole board decision making less transparent and government accountability difficult to establish. Performance management systems have been used to strengthen good governance. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the design of a model of performance management of the parole boards in the Department of Correctional Services in South Africa. / Penology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Penology)

The Performance Management System (PMS) has been introduced in the South African public service with the intentions of monitoring, reviewing, assessing performance, developing underperformers, and recognising and rewarding good performance. This study was undertaken as an attempt to investigate whether the PMS of the Department of Local Government and Housing (DLGH) in the Limpopo Province contributes to the improvement in departmental productivity. The literature review undertaken in this study shows that there is a general poor understanding of PMS in the public service and in the DLGH in particular. It (the literature review) further establishes that there are several challenges that hinder the effective implementation of a PMS in the public service. Other findings of the study include that there is a challenge of biased ratings (subjective assessment), and a setting of unrealistic performance targets which are unrealisable by employees. The foregoing justifies the reasons why productivity levels are not always realised and targets not achieved by the DLGH. The main finding of the study is that, although it plays a significant role in the improvement of productivity, the PMS has not contributed to the improvement of productivity of the DLGH in the Limpopo Province. The main recommendation on the basis of this finding is that there should be a regular and thorough training of officials within the DLGH about the PMS and how it influences productivity. Other additional recommendations include, inter alia, that the Departmental Moderating Committee should demand verifiable evidence to justify a higher rating during quarterly assessments, and that punitive/disciplinary measures be taken against those who do not comply with the provision of the PMS policy, particularly failure to submit performance instruments. / Public Administration / M Admin. (Public Administration)

The perceived lack of progress by the Department of Human Settlements (“Department”) in meeting the increased demand for subsidised housing post-1994 is a ticking time bomb, given the repeated promises without any prospect of meeting the commitment to eradicate or upgrade all informal settlements by 2014. Despite ongoing delivery of subsidised housing, the backlog remained at 2,4 million households from 2005 to 2009, the indicator being the number of informal settlement households. The “Department” has acknowledged the existence of bureaucratic blockages throughout the housing delivery chain. Despite the urgency of the situation, there appears to be no research on the departmental factors hampering delivery under the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (“programme”) and finding a solution that would maximise delivery within budgetary constraints. This research assesses the suitability of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), a Strategic Management Accounting performance measurement and management tool, for addressing the departmental factors hampering delivery (“factors”) under the “programme” and develops a conceptual framework to guide any future application of the BSC to the “programme”.The complexity of housing delivery and the proposed integration of the BSC call for a detailed literature study of the post-1994 national housing and “programme” documentation and that of the public sector BSC. The theoretical study will establish how and by whom housing delivery should be done, the “factors” and the BSC framework and translation process. This will serve as the basis for the assessment of the suitability of the BSC for addressing the “factors” and the development of the conceptual framework.This study revealed that the BSC is suitable for addressing seven of the eight departmental factors hampering delivery under the “programme” and partially suitable for addressing the remaining factor. The recommendation is that the BSC be applied to the “programme” according to the conceptual framework provided. This study has contributed to knowledge by: producing an overall picture of the national framework for the delivery of subsidised housing, presenting the BSC as a suitable performance measurement tool for addressing the departmental factors hampering delivery under the “programme”, and developing a conceptual framework for any future BSC application to the “programme”. / Accounting Sciences / D. Com. (Accounting)

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Prestasiebeoordeling is van kritiese belang vir die effektiewe bestuur van 'n welsynsorganisasie. Prestasiebeoordeling van maatskaplike werkers word dikwels afgeskeep, foutiewelik uitgevoer en met groot negatiwiteit bejeen. Hierdie verkennend-beskrywende studie het ten doel om wetenskaplik gefundeerde riglyne daar te stel vir die implementering van prestasiebeoordeling ten opsigte van maatskaplike werkers. Die doel is nie om volledige riglyne vir elke aspek van prestasiebeoordeling daar te stel nie, maar om probleme en leemtes vir toekomstige navorsing te identifiseer. Agt en dertig maatskaplike werkers en vier maatskaplikewerkbestuurders se belewenisse van prestasiebeoordeling is deur middel van vraelyste getoets en beskryf. Dit het geblyk dat prestasiebeoordeling van maatskaplike werkers ontwikkelingsgerig is en dat die maatskaplike werkers en maatskaplikewerkbestuurders baat vind by prestasiebeoordeling. Die maatskaplike werkers is van mening dat prestasiebeoordeling aangewend behoort te word vir die identifisering van leemtes en ontwikkelingsareas in die professionele toerusting van maatskaplike werkers. Aanbevelings ten opsigte van aspekte wat vir verdere navorsing oorweeg kan word, is gemaak. / Performance appraisal is critical to the effective management of a welfare organisation. Performance appraisal of social workers are often neglected, implemented incorrectly or regarded within a negative light. This exploratory/ descriptive study aims to set scientifically grounded guidelines for the implementation of performance appraisal with regard to social workers. The aim is not to provide comprehensive guidelines regarding every aspect of perforance appraisal, but to identify gaps and problems which may be studied in future research. Through questionnaires the perceptions of performance appraisal by 38 social workers and four social work managers were tested and described. It seemed that performance appraisal of social workers is geared towards development, and that social workers and social work managers do benefit from performance appraisal. Social workers were of the opinion that performance appraisal should be employed to identify gaps and development areas in equipping social workers professionally. Recommendations are made regarding aspects for further research / Social Work / M. Diac. (Maatskaplike Werk-rigting)

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by Development Support Groups (DSGs) in implementing the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in the secondary schools of Circuit 03 of Libode district of Eastern Cape Province. The scope of research was restricted to three secondary schools in circuit 03. The research methodology was qualitative in which multiple case study strategy was employed. The sampling strategy was purposive sampling and it included principals, educators serving in DSG and educators who have been evaluated in the previous years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to get information from principals. Questionnaires with open ended questions were used to obtain information from educators serving in DSGs and educators who have been evaluated in the previous years. The findings of this study were that; the DSGs did not receive training that specifically explained their role. Timing is a problem in evaluation of educators as it is performed in the fourth term when educators are busy preparing for final examinations and planning for the next coming year. The infrastructure condition cripples the performance of DSGs. The interpretation of evaluation instruments for educators poses a challenge to DSGs. The awarding of scores by DSGs tends to be more subjective. DSGs mainly have to use their discretion in awarding scores. Analysis of information received from participants indicated that the role of DSGs in implementing IQMS could be improved with intensive training of DSGs on IQMS. Summative evaluation of educators has to be conducted in the third term as many activities take place in the fourth term. Learner performance has also to be a deciding factor in awarding educator scores. Subject advisors should form part of DSGs. This research is likely to benefit school principals, policy makers, educators and IQMS coordinators as it provides clarity on the role of DSGs in implementing IQMS. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)